Wasps yesterday laughed off this week's training-ground fight between two England backs, Josh Lewsey and Danny Cipriani, which left the latter felled by a right hook and nursing a cut nose and lip.

The pair trained together yesterday having patched up their differences, which started when Lewsey criticised Cipriani for missing a tackle. Wasps, who denied that Lewsey was facing disciplinary action, described the fight as nothing unusual as players started to focus on the important Heineken Cup opener, against Castres at Adams Park on Sunday.

"It was nothing out of the ordinary," said the Wasps director of rugby, Ian McGeechan. "This sort of thing happens every week: I am quite chuffed that it was two backs who were involved. We are talking about rugby players after all, and it is simply not an issue."

Cipriani last week made his return from injury, five months after ankle surgery. He is expected to be added to the England squad later this month and enjoys a high media profile. Lewsey is in the current England 32, but faces being dropped if Wasps continue to pick him on the left wing because his designated national position is full-back: if he is picked out of that position for three consecutive weeks, England have the right to replace him.

Wasps moved Lewsey from full-back after mistakes under high kicks cost his side three tries in two consecutive defeats. With just one victory so far, and defeat in the opening round of the EDF Energy Cup, Europe looks Wasps' best chance of continuing their record of winning at least one trophy in each of the last six seasons.

"It is Heineken Cup week and we always have a fight," said the club's head coach, Shaun Edwards. "We have won it twice, and each time we had a dust-up in the build-up. Players are on edge. I do not condone punching in matches because players risk getting sent off, but in training it's different because emotions can run a bit wild at times and we encourage emotion."

Edwards insisted that fame had not made Cipriani arrogant and played down suggestions his profile was causing jealousy within the squad. "Danny is treated the same as everybody else. If he is late for training he will be fined, and if his training is not up to scratch he gets told off, as everyone else does. What goes into the papers is out of our control. All that we can do is make sure that Danny leaves his ego at the door as the rest of the players do and works hard, as he has done over the last three years. No one at this club is questioning his commitment."